Berto Center's Swan Song Brings Back Memories

One last time.

Basketball was played on the practice court that was home to six world championship teams during the 1990s for the final time Friday night in Deerfield.

The Berto Center - which will soon transform into an upscale event venue called Venue One North Shore - was the site for a scrimmage between the Deerfield Police Department and the Deerfield Bannockburn Fire Department, whose friendly rivalry was the basis behind a fundraiser for the family of fallen Fox Lake Lieutenant Joe Gliniewicz. 

It was the final basketball event at the facility that produced countless memories for current and former members of the Chicago Bulls.

“This was my home for six years,” said Bill Wennington, who coached the Deerfield police during the charity game on Friday. Wennington was a member of three world championship teams for the Chicago Bulls during the 1990s. The Berto Center was the practice home for the franchise for more than two decades until they moved to a facility adjacent to the United Center last year.

“It was a great venue to practice. I spent a lot of time here in the summer with lots of great memories,” said Wennington, who noted the year Michael Jordan returned from retirement created the most fan buzz around the facility.

“It was kind of crazy that year,” Wennington said of the 1994-95 season, which was highlighted by not only Jordan’s return, but the game he and Wennington combined for 57 points to beat the archrival New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden (Jordan had 55, but Wennington provided the winning 2).

“That was a lot of fun,” Wennington laughed.

You can get nostalgia here, Bulls fans.

While the Berto Center may not be the iconic sports venue it has been for the last two decades, the building pay actually provide more to residents of Deerfield and surrounding North Shore communities.

“We are going to fill a void for a unique, ‘downtown Chicago’ experience for great events on the North Shore,” said David Bunte, vice president of Venue One North Shore. “We want to show people in Deerfield and surrounding communities that you can get that same great experience without having to travel down to Chicago.”

Bunte said the charity basketball game produced “a great turnout” and was a fitting way to say goodbye to an iconic venue.

“This was a joint collaboration with the Police and Fire departments and was all done in the last 10 days,” said Bunte, who said getting celebrity guests such as Wennington, current Bulls player Kirk Hinrich (who coached the Fire Department team) and renowned Chicago Blackhawks singer Jim Cornelison to sing the National Anthem was not too difficult provided the significance of the venue involved.

Raffle prizes were won, a shootaround for fans provided a lot of fun and a painting of the Bulls logo (which was made during halftime of the game by a speedy artist) raised $1500 for the Gliniewicz family.

“We came out to enjoy the evening and donate to a great cause,” said Kevin Kearns, the father-in-law of Deerfield police officer Mark Lorentz, who participated in the game.